Watercolor Technique

Begin by stamping your image on watercolor paper using StazOn ink. Why StazOn? If you use other inks the black outline will run when you add water to blend the other colors and you’ll end up with a muddy mess.


There are two easy ways to “watercolor” your image. The first method uses watercolor pencils or crayons. Begin by coloring your image with watercolor pencils (or crayons.) When you are finished coloring in the entire image, use an Aqua Painter to “blend” each color. An Aqua Painter is like a watercolor brush with water well in the stem. Tip: Be sure to clean the brush tip on a paper towel between colors.


The second method uses Blender Pens and ink pads. If you are using Stampin’Up! ink pads start by squeezing the lid on the pad before opening. When you open the ink pad you should have some ink pooled on the lid. (If your ink pad is dry add a drop of re-inker to the lid.) Dip the end of a Blender Pen into the ink on the lid and begin coloring in your stamped image. Do this for each color ink, being sure to clean the end of your Blender Pen by brushing it on a piece of scratch paper between colors.


The image on the left is colored with watercolor pencils and an Aqua Painter. The image on the right is colored using blender pens. Unfortunately the colors don’t show up well in this photo. Watercolor pencils and crayons produce more vibrant color, and shading is more defined. Blender pens create a softer image with more muted colors. I used Blender Pens to create the cards above and also the gift tags from my Oct. 27th post.